PRESS RELEASE

January 18, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Liam Garland, Acting Public Works Director

510-747-7930

City of Alameda’s Public Works Department Receives Accreditation from American Public Works Association

The City of Alameda’s Public Works Department was recently awarded American Public Works Association (APWA) accreditation. Alameda is the 115th agency to gain accreditation out of more than 15,000 public works agencies throughout North America. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Alameda is the second city of equivalent size to gain accreditation (Palo Alto is the other).

Edric Kwan, President of the Northern California Chapter of APWA, commented, “The City of Alameda has achieved this prestigious accreditation that serves as the nationwide gold standard in the public works industry.”  Accreditation followed after an on-site visit during the first week of August, 2016, by a four-person evaluation team consisting of the Director of Accreditation for APWA and three public works officials from other accredited agencies. On the visit, the evaluation team reviewed and found more than 400 of the Alameda Public Works Department’s practices consistent with nationally recognized standards. In addition, the reviewers deemed the Department’s practices for public participation and street maintenance as “model” practices for other departments to follow.

APWA agency accreditation is one of the Public Works Department’s top initiatives. These initiatives, including founding of the project management unit, implementing a computerized maintenance management system, and staff gaining more trainings and certifications, are aimed at the Department becoming the best public works agency in the Bay Area.